An already-depleted Carolina Panthers cornerback room got even thinner on Thursday night.
Rookie Will Lee III, who had been playing some admirable ball in the absences of starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, went down with a hamstring injury in the second quarter of the 27-19 loss. The setback occurred on a 53-yard reception by Green Bay Packers wideout Christian Watson, as the 2026 fourth-round pick went down in his pursuit and would later be carted away to the locker room.
Head coach Dave Canales told reporters after the game that the extent of Lee's injury was "pretty good," and addressed the troubles his defense had in containing Green Bay's passing attack.
"Kinda battled out there and gave everything he [Lee] had on that one to affect the play," Canales stated. "But besides that, early on, they were having a lot of success in some third-and-longer types of situations. I'd love to see us get off the field in those moments—because we did a great job of first and second down, owning the run game and minimizing them. It really should've been an advantage for our defense in those modes."
Packers quarterback Jordan Love finished having completed 30 of his 41 throws for 288 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also led his offense to a 56.3-percent success rate (nine-of-16) on third downs.

#down #packers #love #injury

The Duke and ***** ss of Sussex appear to be happily settled into the UK, sharing glimpses of their wholesome countryside pursuits, but a fresh video shared by Meghan Markle has included throwbacks to their old life in Montecito. One clip showed Meghan and her daughter Lilibet in the kitchen and another was of Meghan and Prince Harry marvelling at an As Ever Christmas hamper in their hallway.
This entranceway photo enabled us to swoon over their incredible décor once more, showing they have beautifully arched doorways, double-height ceilings and chic light fittings both on the wall and ceiling. Wooden patio doors can be seen which open outside and beyond Prince Harry, a sneak peek of their shared office with open fire can be glimpsed.
This image revealed a look at their beautiful home
The couple both beamed with happiness as they looked at Meghan's carefully curated gift, displayed in a stunning brown hamper. Her website reveals that there are three different baskets for sale, 'The hostess basket', 'The pantry basket' and 'The parlour basket', and they retail from $211 to $259, including little luxuries like Meghan's famous preserve, flower sprinkles and tea.
Meghan kicked off the countdown to Christmas with a new advent calendar (@ As Ever)

#duke

When it comes to the battle for control of the U.S. Senate, Republicans are mostly playing defense. The lion's share of the races that will decide which party secures a majority in November are in red states — including Texas, Iowa and Ohio — where the GOP is hoping to hold on against ascendant Democratic challengers.
Minnesota is one of the few states in the country where the party is in a position to go on offense and potentially turn a blue seat red.
In pursuit of that goal, the GOP has put its hopes in Michele Tafoya, a former sports broadcaster and NFL sideline reporter turned politician who polls suggest has a real chance of winning in a state that has been dominated by Democrats in recent election cycles.
Tafoya is running for the seat currently held by Democrat Tina Smith, who is not pursuing re-election. Instead her opponent will be Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flannagan, a progressive who supports policies like Medicare for All and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Minnesota has been at the center of some of the biggest controversies of President Trump's second term, particularly his administration's sweeping immigration crackdown. Though a majority of Minnesotans disapprove of Trump's performance as president, Tafoya has steadily chipped away at Flanagan's lead in polls since the primary.

#tafoya

A new biography about Tom Brady includes details about the end of his marriage to Gisele Bündchen. "Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness" was written by sports journalist Lars Anderson and released on Sept. 29, 2026.
The book draws on more than 350 interviews with people who knew Brady on and off the field. It includes accounts about the couple's marriage and their 2022 divorce. Bündchen has previously said the reasons for their split were more complicated than reports that linked it primarily to Brady's football career.
Anderson's biography examines Brady's life beyond his record-setting football career. Publisher Celadon Books says the author conducted more than 350 original interviews with people who knew Brady on and off the field. The book explores his childhood, career, family life, and retirement.
It also examines what Anderson presents as the personal cost of Brady's intense commitment to football and his pursuit of success. The marriage receives considerable attention because it overlapped with some of Brady's biggest professional achievements. Brady and Bündchen married in 2009 and remained together for 13 years before finalizing their divorce in October 2022.
They share a son, Benjamin, and a daughter, Vivian. Both described the divorce as difficult while emphasizing that their children would remain a priority as they moved forward separately.

#book

Anas Marwah and Asala Maleh have built an audience of more than 65 million followers through family YouTube vlogs
Speaking with PEOPLE ahead of their sold-out live show at the Prudential Center in Newark, the pair open up about how authenticity has contributed to their longevity online
They also share how they protect their family life, including their two children, Mila and Noah, online
When Anas Marwah and Asala Maleh look back on their careers at age 70, they don't want to have any regrets.

The content creators, who are also married with two children, can trace the origins of their relationship right alongside the origins of their wildly successful social media careers. The pair first got their start as individual online creators on the now-defunct social media platform Vine, then met on Snapchat and began their now years-long journey to build their own social media empire.

Since first connecting and building their careers and family together, the pair's online reach has spiraled. They're best known for their family YouTube vlogs, which they create with a core mission of making "screen time family time again." Despite their over 65 million followers, the pair are adamant they don't want to lose the magic that helped them build their platform.

"Authenticity is probably our number one thing," says Anas, 34. This pursuit of making sure all their content is authentic has allowed them to understand what their audience wants for so long — and to deliver on it each and every day. Most recently, the pair have decided to translate the lovable excitement of their YouTube vlogs into their first-ever live show: "The Anazala Family Live," which will see the couple take over the Prudential Center in Newark. A testament to the pair's loyal audience: the event sold out in just 25 minutes.
Asala and Anas.
Credit: The Anazala Family

#youtube

Michigan and Oklahoma produced plenty of serious football Saturday afternoon. Somehow, one of the most memorable sequences involved a guy who never played a snap.
During Michigan's 17-10 victory over No. 11 Oklahoma, Wolverines linebacker Troy Bowles recovered a second-quarter fumble and headed toward the Michigan sideline with the football. An Oklahoma ball boy apparently had one objective: get that ball back.
The resulting pursuit quickly became one of the game's viral moments.
The video below shows the Oklahoma ball boy following Bowles down the Michigan sideline, repeatedly attempting to reclaim the Sooners' football while Bowles kept moving. The effort level was unquestionable. The leverage situation was considerably less favorable.
The scene followed one of Michigan's biggest defensive plays of the first half.

#michigan #bowles #Football #ball

There's no doubt who the biggest star for Texas is right now. Arch Manning is the projected top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and likely would have been the first pick in April's draft had he declared.
After opening up last season throwing for 170 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State, Manning finished the season with 26 passing touchdowns and 3,163 yards, while adding 10 rushing touchdowns. Manning is one of the favorites to win this year's Heisman Trophy.
The biggest acquisition for Texas in the transfer portal during the offseason was wide receiver Cam Coleman from Auburn. In two seasons with the Tigers, Coleman grabbed 93 passing touchdowns for over 1,300 yards and 13 scores.
In his first game in the burnt orange, Coleman hauled in three passes for 70 yards, finding the end zone twice. The junior is expected to be in the mix for the Biletnikoff Award this season, trying to keep up with Ohio State wideout Jeremiah S,it's in their pursuit for the honor.
Prior to last year's game Simmons provided Ohio State with some bulletin board material when he boasted how eager he was to sack new Buckeye quarterback Julian Sayin.

#state #season #biggest

During a beach outing, then-5-year-old Terry Potter Hedden III — now "Trey" to NMSU teammates and fans — picked up a football and threw a perfect spiral to his stepmom. It was then Hedden was destined to be a quarterback with a supportive blended family. His parents and stepparents "made sure I made every tryout. They took me to camps. They helped me meet the coaches I wanted to learn from." And they attended every game, including during his two years at Furman and this season with the Aggies. After a 10-percentage-point jump in accuracy from his freshman season, Hedden entered the portal to "raise the ceiling a little bit" in pursuit of future pro opportunities. NMSU head coach Tony Sanchez's spread attack offered protection (312 pounds an O-lineman) and speedy targets. Slot receiver TK King has been GPS-clocked at nearly 23 mph and laser-timed at 20.74 seconds over 200 meters. "The biggest thing for me is I've got to remember that on game day, he's a little bit faster than he is in practice," Hedden said of King. "When he's running a route, you can throw it out there and he'll turn it on. We talk about it in the meeting room. Go make him run 100 meters to catch the ball." King's average target depth is 21 yards. He has catch-and-dashes of 46, 42 and 34 yards. The Aggies have sets of four and five receivers or up to two tight ends. Running back James Jones has no fumbles or negative-yard rushes in 30 carries. Jones also is an effective blocker who can roll into the flats. Hedden is 80% accurate on screens, hitches and check-down throws. "The quarterback in this offense is really a distributor," Hedden said. "We really focus on the things we're good at, and we repeat those things, and find new ways to do those things every week. It's really been a lot of fun to play in this offense with these coaches."
The Aggies' base is chaos, with shifts, movements and glove-to-glove combat in the trenches and running lanes. "When things get so cranky, like how many blitzes and stunts, it looks like Star Wars to us," weakside linebacker Sone Aupiu said. His first two NMSU seasons, Aupiu played middle linebacker. He moved to will linebacker last year but still trains at all second-tier positions, including jack, the stand-up edge defender. Helped by playing on the narrow side of the formation, Aupiu has freedom to jump lanes. "When it comes to gap schemes, that's what I love," he said. "Coming my way to the boundary, I'm looking to hit 'em." His father grew up in Samoa, his mother in New Zealand, where rugby was the favored sport. He said he aspires to play professional rugby. But for now, Aupiu said, "I chose a different route, which was football. Everybody else on my mom's side chose rugby." Aupiu received a few college offers. But after an official visit to Las Cruces, he decided to be an Aggie. He said he had to adjust to the culture change from Long Beach, Calif., such as green chili served with everything. And to fatherhood — he and his wife have a 3-yea

Joao Cancelo has made no secret of his biggest ambition at Barcelona, with the Portuguese defender dreaming of lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy with the Blaugrana.
Cancelo made his first start of the season against Feyenoord on Wednesday, completing the full 90 minutes as Barcelona opened their European campaign with an important victory and a strong performance.
The summer signing was delighted to finally play a major role and believes Barça have made the right start in their pursuit of European success.
Yet, he knows the Champions League campaign is only beginning.
Speaking to Barcelona's official media (h/t MARCA), Cancelo highlighted the importance of playing at home in Europe while making his personal target clear.

#start #joao #portuguese

LSU avoided punishment from the SEC's presidents and chancellors as possible consequences were discussed at a special meeting Sept. 10.
The conference's 16 CEOs met virtually to decide whether or not the league could subject LSU football and head coach Lane Kiffin to punitive damages after the program's pursuit of trying to add former professional athletes to its roster.
After discussions, the SEC announced that no action was going to be taken against LSU at this time.
GOV. JEFF LANDRY ON LAWSUIT Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry says SEC singling out LSU with lawsuit, 'it's dangerous'
SAM LEAVITT, LANE KIFFIN PERFECT PAIR LSU football QB Sam Leavitt and Lane Kiffin are both 'mavericks'

#landry #Football

Regret is not an emotion that you often hear an NBA player admit to. But there is one thing in a career in the ***** ociation that can trigger that admission – the lost time and potential created by injuries. And such was the case for Boston Celtics forward alum Danilo Gallinari, who tore his ACL in international play just weeks before the Celtics held the training camp he was supposed to be joining the storied ball club for in pursuit of a ***** le.
Gallo spoke to HoopsHype contributor Cyro ***** eo about that era and the Italian forward's feelings about it in a recent interview, "I always go back to my two ACLs," said Gallinari. "The two ACL injuries that happened to me happened in the only two times where I played for a championship-caliber team. Because it happened my third season in Denver and when I signed with the Celtics, which was my only second chance to get to the championship, so those are the only two moments that were not based on something that I did."
"I got injured, but I couldn't control can't control injuries that much," said the former Celtics forward. "So it would be those two moments."
As for which of the two ACL tears were tougher, it was his injury ahead of his tenure with Boston that impacted him the most. "I think the second one was definitely tougher because I did it at 34 instead of 24," he explained. "So when you do it at 24, your body reacts in a different way, so the second one was tougher."
"And the mental part, I think, is always tougher than the physical part because the body will adapt, will react, but the mind sometimes goes back to the same move that you did that you got injured with, and so it's the mental part."

#happened #only #forward

The SEC says that it's looking for an "appropriate resolution" after its presidents and chancellors met on Thursday following the drama surrounding LSU's pursuit of players who had signed NFL contracts.
The meeting was held a day after a hearing in the conference's suit against LSU and coach Lane Kiffin was continued. That continuance came after LSU filled its final two roster spots on Tuesday evening and left no ****** e to add former Ole Miss DT Zxavian Harris and ex-Rebels TE Dae'Quan Wright to the roster in 2026.
The two players had signed contracts with NFL teams but were cut during the preseason. They were eligible to return for a fifth season of college football after a Louisiana judge ruled that they should be granted an extra year following the NCAA's decision to give all college athletes in the class of 2023 and younger five years to play five seasons.
"The presidents and chancellors of the Southeastern Conference met Thursday by videoconference to discuss recent matters involving conference expectations and responsibilities," the SEC's brief statement said. "Those discussions will continue as the conference and its member universities work toward an appropriate resolution."
At one point, the Thursday meeting was slated to discuss the possibility of expelling LSU from the conference. As LSU had looked to sign both Harris and Wright, the conference made a rule that no player who had signed an NFL, NBA or WNBA contract could play for a member school.

#thursday #signed #harris #chancellors

Saudi AI company Humain has begun preparations for its IPO, after its CEO Tareq Amin announced he was ***** embling a team of experts to help lay the groundwork for its listing.
While he did not specify a date, Amin told the Future Investment Initiative conference last October that his aim was to list Humain in both Saudi Arabia and New York by 2029.
Since its launch last year, Humain has secured deals and partnerships with xAI, Nvidia, Amazon Web Services, Adobe and Cisco, to name a few.
Those achievements have been underpinned by finance from Saudi Arabia's $900 billion Public Investment Fund which established Humain in May 2025 as the key engine for delivering its AI ambitions.
The pursuit of an IPO marks a notable shift for a company whose growth so far has largely been funded by state capital.

#initiative

Four-star athlete Za'Kari Johnson is one of Florida State football's top commits in the 2027 recruiting cycle, but they will have to keep fighting to hold onto his commitment. He visited the Texas A&M Aggies last weekend, and on Thursday he will be visiting the Miami Hurricanes, according to On3's EJ Holland.
"I just want to see Miami football," Johnson said. "Miami has always been my dream school. Being a kid from South Florida, I look up to all the greats. I've seen them ball. It motivates me."
Johnson is ranked as the No. 296 overall player and No. 9 athlete in the Rivals industry ranking. He is also the No. 27 player from Florida. He explained what he needs to see from the Seminoles for him to stay committed.
"(My commitment) stands good right now," Johnson said. "I need them to win, though. I need them to ball… I love Mike (Norvell). I hope he can stay. A lot of people say he might not stay. But I hope he can stay, so I can go there."
FSU and Miami appear to be headed in very different directions one week into the 2026 season. The Hurricanes are 1-0 and national ******* le contenders, while the Seminoles are 1-1 and Mike Norvell is fighting for his job. Miami also has another advantage in their pursuit of Johnson, he is teammates with five-star Miami wide receiver commit Nick Lennear, who would surely love to play with him at the next level.

#Miami #seminoles #athlete

The Baltimore Ravens have undergone significant changes entering the 2026 season, but elite talent, depth, and versatility remain central to their pursuit of a championship. Baltimore's veteran core will help Jesse Minter navigate his first season as a head coach. Some of those players, however, are also approaching crossroads because of age, injuries, salary considerations, or increased competition.
With the regular season approaching, here are five Ravens veterans entering pivotal seasons, along with one bonus candidate.
Bateman has repeatedly shown flashes of becoming a dependable playmaker, but injuries and inconsistent opportunities have prevented him from establishing himself as one of the NFL's most productive receivers.
The talent has never been the primary question. Bateman can create separation, stretch the field, and provide Lamar Jackson with a reliable target outside the numbers. What Baltimore needs now is consistent availability and production all season. Zay Flowers is firmly established as Jackson's leading receiver, while rookie Ja'Kobi Lane brings size and considerable upside to the position. Bateman must carve out a defined role within Declan Doyle's offense and capitalize on his opportunities. A productive season would strengthen Bateman's place within Baltimore's long-term plans. Another uneven campaign could force the Ravens to reevaluate the position.
Stanley remains one of the NFL's best left tackles when healthy, but age makes every season more significant.

#Ravens

The Champions League is back this week as Europe's elite begin their pursuit of club football's biggest prize.
Matchday one brings blockbuster reunions, unwanted records and plenty of questions for some of the continent's biggest clubs.Jose Mourinho faces former side Inter Milan with history in his sights, while Antonio Conte will hope to finally translate his domestic success onto the European stage.
Elsewhere,Barcelona must address familiar defensive concerns and Manchester United will celebrate a major milestone on their return to the competition.
Here are five things to watch on Champions League Matchday One.
The biggest fixture of matchday one seesReal Madrid host Inter Milan at the Bernabeu. Two of Europe's biggest names go head-to-head on opening night, as Jose Mourinho welcomes his former team to the Spanish capital.

#biggest #matchday #league #head

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have been among the early contributors for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final, but it was captain Ishan Kishan who eventually stole the show with a breathtaking double century against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Sooryavanshi opened the innings for East Zone and made a brisk 44 off 37 deliveries. During the match, former India cricketer and commentator Vivek Razdan used Kishan's remarkable innings to offer some advice to the teenage batter.

"Sooryavanshi sahab, now you have to learn from players like Ishan Kishan. Once you are set, you have to learn how to play a long innings," Razdan said on commentary.

The message came as Kishan continued to pile on the runs and turn the final into a one-sided contest.
Resuming on 385/4, East Zone's batters showed little sign of slowing down. South Zone turned to the new ball in search of wickets, but Mohammad Siraj and MD Nidheesh struggled to make an impact.

Kishan immediately put pressure on the bowlers, collecting consecutive boundaries against Siraj before taking on Nidheesh. ***** ar Kushagra also joined the ***** ault as South Zone rotated between pace and spin.

Kushagra eventually completed his sixth first-class century, scoring 101 from 132 ***** with eight fours and five sixes. His dismissal shortly before lunch finally gave South Zone a breakthrough.

Kishan, meanwhile, remained in complete control.

The East Zone captain repeatedly found gaps in the field and punished anything loose. Even when South Zone introduced part-timers Devdutt Padikkal and Shaikh Rasheed, the flow of runs did not stop.

Kishan brought up his double century from 270 ***** and continued attacking thereafter. He raced beyond 250 before fatigue briefly forced him to retire from the field.

East Zone continued marching towards a massive total, eventually crossing 600 and then 700. When Mohammed Shami was dismissed for a quick 28, Kishan returned to the crease with the possibility of reaching an extraordinary triple century.
Kishan's pursuit of 300 ultimately came to an end when he was caught near the long-on boundary. The left-hander departed for a monumental 270 from 334 ***** , having smashed 30 fours and seven sixes.

His innings was the eighth-highest individual score in Duleep Trophy history and formed the backbone of East Zone's mammoth 708 all out.

Razdan had earlier highlighted not just the quality of Kishan's batting but also the physical demands of staying at the crease for such an extended period.

"Every person who is present here at this time stood up and applauded this innings. Because this is not just technique, this is not just temperament, this is also match fitness. To stay out there for so long in such heat and play an innings like this. What an innings by Ishan Kishan."

Kishan's marathon effort, alongside Kushagra's century, ensured East Zone posted more than 700 for only the third time in first-class cricket history at Chepauk.

The Baltimore Ravens reconstructed their coaching staff and strengthened several areas of the roster after falling short of the postseason. Those changes created renewed optimism, but they also increased the pressure on several returning players.
Baltimore's established stars will drive the team's championship pursuit. The Ravens' ability to close the gap in the AFC, however, could be determined by younger contributors becoming more consistent in expanded roles.
Here are five Ravens who must improve in 2026.
Simpson possesses the athletic tools to become a productive three-down linebacker, but Baltimore needs greater consistency from him alongside Roquan Smith. He must diagnose plays faster, take cleaner pursuit angles, and become more dependable in coverage. Teddye Buchanan and Jay Higgins IV give the Ravens additional options, placing even more importance on Simpson converting his physical ability into reliable production.
Rosengarten has gained valuable experience at right tackle, but the Ravens need him to take another step as a pass protector. His ability to handle speed rushers without consistent ****** istance would give Declan Doyle greater freedom with formations and route combinations. Baltimore cannot allow pressure from the right side to disrupt Lamar Jackson or force the offense away from deeper-developing concepts.

#Ravens

Texas billionaire Dan Friedkin and The Friedkin Group (TFG) seem to be intently
focused on spinning multiple business deals involving sports franchises across two continents, whether to buy or sell.
Negotiations are currently underway between TFG, a prominent player in global sports investment that manages its multi-club portfolio through its Houston-based division, Pursuit Sports, and representatives from Houston and Austin. The group is awaiting agreement on terms and the approval of the NHL Board of Governors to establish a team in either city by the end of 2026.
But now Friedkin has another move in play, potentially selling a minority stake in Everton Football Club in the English Premier League. According to The Athletic, the idea is to find strategic investors who can help push the club forward.
However, a former Everton top executive believes that a full sale of the club is on the table, given the recent struggles to appease supporters and a catastrophic summer transfer window in which multiple top players left while the club acquired undesirable players in return.

#club #everton #multiple

Tennessee linebacker Amare Campbell didn't have much to say about Xavier Gilliam's performance.
Campbell, who played alongside the 6-foot-2, 305-pound defensive tackle at Penn State a year ago, called Gilliam's outing on Sept. 5 against Furman "the standard." Gilliam recorded three sacks in his Tennessee football debut, adding five tackles for loss — the most sacks by a UT defender since Darrell Taylor had four on Nov. 10, 2018. He also forced the first fumble of his career while sharing the team-lead in tackles with Campbell at six.
Gilliam's relentless pursuit helped the No. 18 Vols (1-0) to a 56-9 win over the Paladins at Neyland Stadium. More importantly, it proved he could back up continued praise for the consistency.
"Today, that's what he's supposed to do," Campbell said.
Tennessee's defense suffocated Furman, tallying six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. The Vols' season-high in sacks last year was six against Mississippi State.

#loss

Tennessee linebacker Amare Campbell didn't have much to say about Xavier Gilliam's performance.
Campbell, who played alongside the 6-foot-2, 305-pound defensive tackle at Penn State a year ago, called Gilliam's outing on Sept. 5 against Furman "the standard." Gilliam recorded three sacks in his Tennessee football debut, adding five tackles for loss — the most sacks by a UT defender since Darrell Taylor had four on Nov. 10, 2018. He also forced the first fumble of his career while sharing the team-lead in tackles with Campbell at six.
Gilliam's relentless pursuit helped the No. 18 Vols (1-0) to a 56-9 win over the Paladins at Neyland Stadium. More importantly, it proved he could back up continued praise for the consistency.
"Today, that's what he's supposed to do," Campbell said.
Tennessee's defense suffocated Furman, tallying six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. The Vols' season-high in sacks last year was six against Mississippi State.

#campbell #furman #vols

When a team makes a trade in sports, one doesn't really know how it's going to turn out.
Sure, fans react — or overreact, oftentimes — 30 seconds after a deal is made.
It could take years before the impact of a trade is determined. For teams who are usually in contention for a division ****** le/playoff appearance, the hope is that impact is sooner than later.
For those teams who are not in contention, it helps provide a glimpse of what the future may hold.
At the Major Baseball League trade deadline in early August, the Cleveland Guardians made a bevy of moves in pursuit of an American League Central Division ****** le and playoff appearance.

#division #impact

Texas A&M will kick off the 2026 regular season against Missouri State on Saturday night, which will include five of the Aggies' five-star commits in the No. 1-ranked 2027 recruiting class, led by senior St. Thomas Aquinas offensive tackle Mark Matthews, who is coming off Friday night's thrilling 31-24 victory to stay undefeated this year.
One of the more refined pass-protecting tackles in the 2027 cycle, Matthews is widely considered to have first-round NFL Draft potential, and after committing to Texas A&M over Miami, Aggie fans are waiting for the blue-chip big man to officially shut down his recruitment and sign with the program in early December.
Late last month, Matthews revealed in an interview with GigEm247's Cade Draughon that he plans to announce his recruitment shutdown in due time and will release a statement on X, but for the remaining fans still unsure if the Florida native is truly locked in with the Aggies, his post-game interview with Marcus Benjamin stated that he is "a thousand percent locked in" with Texas A&M.
When asked what Texas A&M fans should expect from Matthews in Year 1, the incoming freshman simply responded, "The film, I promise I'm going to drop myself in the SEC and do the same thing." When asked which teams are still in pursuit, he mentioned only the Miami Hurricanes and coach Mario Cristobal, which isn't surprising given the in-state connection.
Matthews is expected to make his way to College Station this weekend and attend Texas A&M vs. Missouri State on Saturday night.

#aggies

2
Manchester United's pursuit of a new left-back ultimately ended in disappointment this summer. The Red Devils spent much of the transfer window focusing on midfield reinforcements, signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Carlos Baleba.
The left-back position was also a priority for the English giants this summer, especially with Luke Shaw already on the wrong side of 30. The veteran full-back's contract expires at the end of this season, further complicating matters for INEOS.
While the Englishman started every Premier League game last season, it was imperative to lay down succession plans for the future. Several emerging and established candidates were monitored for the role, including Newcastle United's Lewis Hall, Barcelona's Alejandro Balde, and RB Leipzig's David Raum.
Unfortunately, United failed to land any of their left-back targets and ended the summer without adding cover for Shaw to their squad. Acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano has now named a surprise candidate who was also eyed as an option for the job.

#left #back #shaw #devils

Julián Álvarez ended the summer window still on Atlético Madrid's books, but that outcome has settled almost nothing. Barcelona spent the entire market chasing the Argentine, Atlético publicly rejected the pursuit in increasingly hostile terms, and ******* nal explored an offer of their own while the whole thing threatened to boil over. The question now isn't whether the saga is over – it plainly isn't – but which of the three forces at play, Atlético's contractual leverage, Barcelona's valuation, or Álvarez's own stated preference, actually decides what happens next.
Álvarez himself gave the clearest signal of intent back in June, telling ESPN after Argentina's World Cup win over Austria that a transfer to Barcelona was the best thing for everyone and that he wanted to fulfil his dream. Those words were music to Joan Laporta's ears and poison to Atlético's dressing room. Everything that has followed, including deadline day passing without a deal, sits downstream of that one public admission.
Álvarez's Atlético contract runs until June 2030 and carries a release clause of around €500 million – a figure so far beyond market reality that it functions purely as leverage, not a genuine asking price. Barcelona say they made a €100 million bid; Atlético sources initially denied receiving any offer at all before later confirming one had arrived, structured across six yearly instalments and worth that same €100 million.
On July 30, with the dispute already curdling, Atlético reported Barcelona to the Spanish Football Federation over their pursuit of the player. No public update from the federation had followed by the time The Athletic's reconstruction of the saga was published. Álvarez remained at the Metropolitano when the window shut, and reports suggest he is expected to stay at Atlético at least until the January window reopens the conversation.
Before the summer even began, senior Atlético sources indicated the club would let Álvarez leave for €150 million provided a deal closed by July 20. That deadline passed with no agreement, and Atlético's position hardened dramatically. By late June, chief executive Miguel Ángel Gil Marín was drawing a line that had nothing to do with valuation gaps.

#window #federation #summer #nothing

The new Women's Super League season will be the first with an official fantasy game.
Launched on August 19, 16 days before the start of the 2026-27 season, the game is the next step in the league's pursuit of more engagement with existing fans and a broader toolkit to attract new ones.
The extremely popular Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game was born 24 years ago, ahead of the 2002-03 season. At the end of last season, FPL had over 13million users around the world.
Naturally, in the quickly evolving world of women's football, one can't just copy and paste what has achieved success in men's football when it comes to creating an addictive game where users create a team that earns points for WSL players' real-life performances.
"I think there was an ******* umption that core fans love playing fantasy," Joey Davidson, head of digital products at the WSL, tells The Athletic. "But I think we also had to acknowledge that a core fan of the Premier League, for example, was very different in their behaviours from a core fan from the WSL."

#game #fantasy #users

Real Madrid's summer transfer window closed with one major midfield signing for the first team in Bernardo Silva, and one young talent who can eventually make it big at the club in the form of Sergio Martinez.
Despite bringing in two players, however, it was clear throughout the window that the club prioritised yet another big signing in midfield. Rodri was the dream target, but several other names also appeared on their radar as alternatives.
One among those many names was AZ Alkmaar's young midfield talent Kees Smit who was seen as a candidate to immediately upgrade the first-team in the middle of the park.
Despite having several top clubs in his pursuit all summer, however, Smit eventually ended up staying at the Dutch club in what came as a rather surprising development.
The Real Madrid target spoke to AZ Alkmaar's official media earlier this week where he detailed the reason he did not leave the club.

#club #smit #summer

The Ultimate Fighting Championship's annual Madison Square Gardencard is taking shape.

NazimSadykhov is set to square off against JeffersonNascimento in a lightweight bout at UFC 334 onNov. 14 at MSG in New York City. While the UFC has yet toofficially announce the bout, Sadykhov took to Instagram to revealthe booking. They last competed on the same card earlier thisyear.
Nascimento (13-1) was a highly touted undefeated prospect goinginto his UFC debut against fellow promotional debutant TahirAbdullayev this past June at UFC Baku. However, he was booed in enemy territory for coastingthroughout the first two rounds.

Abdullayev finally hurt Nascimento late in the third round andreferee Jim Perdios called a highly questionable stop to thecontest. While Nascimento made his UFC debut at welterweight, theformer LFA lightweight champ will drop back down to 155 pounds inpursuit of his first Octagon victory.

Meanwhile, Sadykhov (11-3-1) was a -250 favorite against MatheusCamilo in front of a home crowd in Azerbaijan. However, Camilosilenced the crowd by knocking Sadykhov out in the first round,although it was yet another controversial stoppage, this time byreferee RichMitchell. This marked Sadykhov's second loss on the bouncefollowing his defeat to Fares Ziamlast December. His UFC record stands at 4-2-1.

#first #lightweight #bout

Former Miss Dominican Republic Andreína Martínez is getting closer to another major international stage. The Dominican model and beauty queen has been named one of 10 finalists in Victoria's Secret's search for its newest Angel, putting her in contention for a spot on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2026 runway.
Martínez, who represented the Dominican Republic at Miss Universe 2022 and finished as second runner-up, advanced from a massive pool of more than 100,000 applicants. She is also reported to be the only Latina among the final 10 contestants.
Miss Venezuela Amanda Dudamel Miss USA R'bonney Gabriel and Miss Dominican Republic Andrei­na Marti­nez during The 71st Miss Universe Competition (@ Getty Images)
The milestone comes months after Martínez publicly shared her goal of making it onto the Victoria's Secret runway. "Hi, I'm Andreína and I want to be an Angel," Martínez said in a video announcing her pursuit of the opportunity.
Victoria's Secret launched an open casting search in 2026, inviting aspiring models to compete for an opportunity to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

#miss #republic #andre #angel

The Oklahoma Sooners kick off their 2026 college football season on Friday against the University of Texas at El Paso Miners. This will mark the first step of Oklahoma's pursuit of a return to the College Football Playoff.
This season will feature some players who are expected to have an enhanced role compared to last year. One of those is second-year safety Omarion Robinson. The former four-star appeared in nine games last year, totaling just three tackles. He mainly played on special teams. This year, he's listed as the backup to Peyton Bowen and Michael Boganowski at both safety spots.
Head coach Brent Venables revealed at his game week press conference that he can already see Robinson playing with more confidence.
"I see him playing with a different level of confidence than he did a year ago," Venables said. "Just on a different planet from that standpoint. And again, the consistency thing is what jumps out the most. He's earned a lot of trust. The more he plays, the better he gets."
That trust could be especially important for Robinson as Oklahoma looks to maintain the strength of it secondary. The Sooners lost Robert Spears-Jennings to the NFL draft and Jaydan Hardy to the Colorado Buffaloes, creating opportunities for younger safeties behind Bowen and Boganowski.

#year #oklahoma #college #season